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What  Do  You  Know 
About  Brazil  1 


When  we  begin  to  try  and  answer  a series  of  questions  about  a 
country  we  realize  fully  how  little  we  know.  In  asking  these  ques- 
tions about  Brazil,  the  motive  is  to  inspire  curiosity,  and  investiga- 
tion that  suitable  replies  may  be  given.  If  you  are  not  in  full  agree- 
ment with  the  replies  given,  do  a little  investigation  on  your  own 
account  and  verify  the  facts. 

Edison  has  made  the  quiz  famous,  and  there  is  no  doubt  about  its 
usefulness.  One  make  is  a greater  effort  to  obtain  information  under 
pressure  of  questioning  than  one  does  under  simple  reading  of  state- 
ments. Some  of  the  questions  asked  may  seem  foolish,  but  practical 
experience  has  proved  that  all  of  these,  and  even  simpler  ones  are 
asked  about  Brazil. 

1.  What  language  is  spoken  in  Brazil? 

Almost  everyone  thinks  that  Spanish  is  spoken  all  over  South 
America,  and  in  all  Latin  America.  It  happens  that  just  half 
the  people  of  South  America  do  not  speak  Spanish,  but  Portu- 
guese. Brazil  occupies  half  the  area  of  South  America,  and  has 
about  half  the  population  of  the  continent.  The  two  languages 
are  somewhat  similar.  A person  who  speaks  Portuguese  easily 
understands  Spanish,  while  Spanish  speaking  people  have  much 
more  difficulty  in  understanding  Portuguese.  Portuguese  is  a 
beautifully  expressive  language,  and  very  much  more  phonetic 
than  English. 

2.  When  was  Brazil  discovered? 

The  official  date  celebrated  as  the  discovery  of  the  country 
is  May  the  third,  the  year  generally  accepted  being  that  of  1 500. 

3.  By  whom  was  it  discovered? 

The  great  area  now  occupied  by  Brazil  was  first  touched  by 
a Portuguese  navigator,  Pedro  Alves  Cabral.  Later  many 
efforts  were  made  by  other  navigators  to  claim  this  discovery, 
but  history  accepts  Cabral  as  the  first  to  arrive. 

4.  What  was  Brazil's  mother  country? 

As  Brazil  was  discovered  by  a Portuguese  navigator,  this 
country  spared  no  efforts  to  establish  her  dominion.  France  and 
Holland  made  efforts  to  claim  and  establish  themselves,  but 
their  men  were  repulsed  and  gradually  Portugal  developed 
Brazil  as  her  most  profitable  colony.  Compare  on  the  map  the 
size  of  Portugal  with  that  of  Brazil.  You  will  at  once  be  reminded 


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Fifty  Questions  and  Answers  on  Brazil 


of  the  comparison  between  England  and  the  United  States. 
There  are  many  other  similarities  between  the  two  mother  coun- 
tries and  the  American  ex-colonies. 

Even  the  language  as  spoken  by  the  Portuguese  has  that 
characteristic  difference  from  that  spoken  by  the  Brazilian,  as 
is  noticed  as  to  the  way  English  is  spoken  in  England  and  in  the 
United  States. 

5.  How  long  has  Brazil  been  an  independent  country? 

On  September  the  seventh,  1922,  the  first  centennial  of  Bra- 
zilian independence  was  celebrated.  One  hundred  years  before 
the  then  reigning  monarch  for  the  mother  country  declared  the 
colonies  independent  and  he  became  the  first  emperor  of  the  new 
monarchy,  as  this  was  the  form  of  government  established. 
During  these  hundred  years  of  independence  much  greater  prog- 
ress has  been  made  than  was  ever  achieved  during  the  three 
hundred  years  under  Portuguese  dominance. 

And  this  progress  has  not  all  been  simply  because  the  world 
as  a whole  was  moving  forward  by  the  impulse  of  new  inventions 
and  new  means  of  transportation.  Portugal  ruled  the  colonies 
with  an  iron  hand,  and  was  more  interested  in  extracting  heavy 
taxes  and  increasing  the  flow  of  gold  to  her  coffers,  than  she  was 
in  the  development  of  the  people  or  the  progress  of  her  new 
territories. 

6.  How  long  has  slavery  been  abolished? 

This  question,  of  course,  implies  that  slavery  did  exist  in 
Brazil.  The  African  traffic  was  instituted  by  the  Portuguese 
from  their  colonies  on  that  continent  at  an  early  date  in  the 
colonization  period,  and  conditions  somewhat  similar  to  those 
in  the  Southern  United  States  grew  up.  After  many  decades  of 
abolition  propaganda  and  the  passing  of  certain  mitigating  laws, 
emancipation  was  decreed  on  May  13,  1888.  It  is  not  necessary 
to  dwell  upon  the  importance  of  this  step  in  the  development 
of  the  nation. 

7.  How  and  by  whom  was  it  abolished? 

The  abolition  of  slavery  in  the  United  States  cost  us  the  losses 
and  sufferings  of  a civil  war,  but  in  Brazil  it  was  accomplished 
by  the  passing  of  a law  in  parliament,  without  bloodshed.  The 
decree  was  signed  by  Princess  Isabel,  who  was  reigning  in  the 
absence  of  her  father,  Imperor  D.  Pedro  the  Second. 

8.  What  is  the  form  of  government  now? 

Much  discontent  was  felt  towards  the  monarchial  form  of  gov- 
ernment, and  republican  propaganda  was  instigated  in  the  early 
half  of  the  nineteenth  century.  Finally  the  revolution  which 
established  the  republic  came  about  in  1889,  one  year  after  the 
freedom  of  the  slaves,  and  it  was  accomplished  almost  without 
bloodshed. 

November  the  fifteenth,  1 889,  is  given  as  the  founding  of  the 
Republic  of  Brazil.  The  transition  from  one  form  of  government 


Fifty  Questions  and  Answers  on  Brazil 


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to  the  other  was  brought  about  without  undue  friction.  As  the 
country  had  its  progress  accelerated  with  the  establishment  of 
its  independence,  the  same  occurred  with  the  republic. 

The  constitution  adopted  was  very  liberal,  based  in  many  parts 
on  that  of  the  United  States  of  America. 

9.  What  is  the  area  of  Brazil , compared  with  that  of  the  U nited  States? 

Brazil  is  somewhat  larger  than  the  United  States  proper.  The 
encyclopedias  give  the  United  States  as  having  2,970,038  square 
miles,  and  Brazil  with  3,218,139  square  miles.  The  area  of 
Brazil  is  not  so  accurately  known  as  that  of  the  United  States. 
Efforts  are  now  being  made  for  mapping  accurately  all  the 
states. 

When  we  remember  that  there  are  only  20  states  in  Brazil, 
one  small  territory,  and  a Federal  District,  and  that  some  of  the 
states  are  small,  then  some  of  the  states  must  be  enormous.  At 
least  one  Brazilian  state  is  several  times  as  large  as  Texas.  This 
largest  state  has  only  360,000  inhabitants.  This  means  a density 
of  population  of  less  than  1/5  of  an  inhabitant  per  square  kilo- 
meter. 

10.  How  many  inhabitants  has  Brazil? 

The  first  real  census  of  Brazil,  according  to  modern  concep- 
tions of  the  term,  was  realized  in  1 920.  The  total  population  of 
the  country  according  to  this  census  being  30,635,605.  In  1872 
the  figures  given  are  10,112,061  and  in  1900,  17,318,556.  From 
these  we  see  that  the  population  has  nearly  doubled  in  the  last 
twenty  years. 

1 1 . What  is  the  capital  of  Brazil? 

The  Federal  capital  of  Brazil  is  its  largest  and  most  important 
city,  Rio  de  Janeiro.  Many  Brazilians  wonder  why  New  York 
City  is  not  the  capital  of  the  United  States.  Many  want  to  move 
the  capital  to  the  center  of  the  country,  in  the  State  of  Goyaz, 
measures  having  been  taken  even  to  select  the  site  and  survey 
it.  But  there  is  no  immediate  danger,  or  even  remote  one  of 
transferring  the  Federal  Capital  from  its  beautiful  location  in 
Rio  de  Janeiro. 

The  population  of  Rio  de  Janeiro  in  1920  was  1,157,873,  and 
it  is  a very  cosmxopolitan  and  modern  city.  It  has  many  miles  of 
beautifully  paved  streets,  is  one  of  the  best  lighted  cities  in  the 
world,  and  has  one  of  the  best  street  car  systems  to  be  found  in 
the  capital  cities  of  the  world,  being  far  superior  to  that  of 
Washington,  D.  C.,  or  Paris,  France. 

12.  Name  the  other  most  important  cities  of  the  country. 

The  most  important  cities  of  Brazil  are  all  state  capitals,  and 
with  one  exception  are  coast  cities.  The  exception  is  the  second 
city  of  Brazil,  Sao  Paulo,  with  a population  in  1920  of  579,000 
people.  It  is  the  great  industrial  center  of  the  nation,  occupying 
a position  in  Brazil  similar  to  that  of  Chicago  in  the  United 
States. 


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Fifty  Questions  and  Answers  on  Brazil 


Next  in  order  of  their  importance  and  population  are  Bahia 
(Sao  Salvador),  Pernambuco  (Recife),  Para  (Belem),  and  Porto 
Alegre.  The  two  names  of  these  various  cities  are  given,  the 
official  names  in  parenthesis,  and  the  generally  used  names 
according  to  the  states  of  which  they  are  the  capitals. 

These  cities  are  all  modern  or  are  in  the  process  of  being 
modernized.  They  are  being  furnished  with  modern  docking 
facilities  for  receiving  the  transatlantic  shipping,  which  seeks 
their  ports  for  international  trade  purposes. 

13.  What  are  the  principal  products  of  Brazilian  agriculture? 

In  value  they  are:  first,  coffee;  second,  corn;  third,  cotton; 
fourth,  rice;  fifth,  sugar;  sixth,  beans;  seventh,  mandioca;  eighth, 
tobacco;  ninth,  cocoa;  tenth,  Irish  potatoes.  I he  live  stock 
interests  of  Brazil  are  enormous.  Brazil  occupies,  as  to  number 
of  head,  the  following  places  in  relation  to  the  other  countries 
of  the  world:  cattle,  fourth  place;  hogs,  fourth  place;  sheep, 
tenth  place;  horses,  fifth  place;  goats,  fourth  place;  and  mules, 
third  place. 

14.  What  are  the  principal  races  of  people  found  in  the  country? 

Brazil  was  occupied  by  a number  of  Indian  tribes  at  the  time 
of  its  discovery.  There  still  exist  in  the  country  a number  of 
tribes  in  their  uncivilized  state.  Others  were  domesticated  in 
the  process  of  colonization. 

The  Portuguese  people  furnished  the  foundation  stock.  The 
Africans  were  brought  in  as  slaves.  From  the  processes  of  immi- 
gration, all  Europe  furnished  many  citizens  to  Brazil,  especially 
Germany,  Italy,  and  Spain. 

There  is  no  formal  established  race  prejudice  in  Brazil  and 
a process  of  amalgamation  is  going  on  that  is  extremely  inter- 
esting. For  a detailed  discussion  of  this  subject  read  Lord  Bryce’s 
‘‘South  America,  Observations  and  Impressions”. 

15.  What  is  the  status  of  education  in  Brazil? 

While  absolutely  accurate  figures  are  not  available,  the  illit- 
erate of  the  country  are  generally  put  at  80%.  This  number  is 
being  enormously  reduced  each  year  as  many  of  the  states  are 
making  special  efforts  to  reach  all  the  children  of  school  age,  and 
through  night  schools  to  reach  many  adults. 

A number  of  states  have  thoroughly  modern  public  school 
systems,  and  while  there  is  no  university  in  Brazil,  in  the  real 
sense  of  the  word,  there  are  colleges  for  all  the  higher  branches 
of  learning,  except  for  classical  subjects. 

Education  as  a whole  is  one  of  the  questions  that  is  most  in 
the  minds  of  the  people,  and  the  statesmen  of  the  country  and 
special  efforts  are  being  made  to  better  the  schools  and  educa- 
tional facilities. 

16.  Is  Brazil  friendly  to  the  United  States,  and  why? 

Of  all  the  South  American  countries  Brazil  appears  to  be  the 
most  friendly  to  the  United  States.  There  are  many  reasons 


Fifty  Questions  and  Answers  on  Brazil 


5 


for  this.  The  Brazilians  as  a whole  admire  the  progress  of  the 
United  States,  especially  in  education  and  agriculture,  and  in 
government  development.  The  country  occupies  more  or  less 
the  same  area  and  status  in  South  America  that  the  United 
States  does  in  North  America.  No  unfriendly  acts  against  Brazil 
have  been  practiced  by  the  United  States.  Diplomatic  relations 
have  always  been  most  cordial.  The  United  States  is  Brazil’s 
best  customer. 

17.  Has  Brazil  made  any  notable  progress  in  industry  and  manu- 

facturing? 

The  last  twenty  years  have  seen  great  strides  of  progress  in 
manufactures  and  industry  in  Brazil.  Many  articles  that  were 
formerly  imported  altogether  are  now  almost  entirely  manufac- 
tured in  the  country;  as  examples  we  might  cite  shoes  and  cotton 
cloths. 

The  mineral  industries  have  not  been  developed,  but  in  the 
near  future  much  will  be  done,  no  doubt.  Oil  is  being  actively 
sought,  and  geologists  of  note  have  assured  that  it  exists. 

18.  What  is  the  dominant  religion  of  Brazil? 

The  Roman  Catholic  religion  is  dominant  and  has  been  since 
the  discovery  of  the  country,  and  its  early  settlement. 

There  are  about  500,000  Protestants  in  the  country  and  pagan 
Indians  in  large  numbers  (variously  estimated  at  from  500,000 
to  several  millions). 

Brazil  is  the  only  South  American  country  with  a resident 
Cardinal.  v 

19.  Did  Brazil  have  any  part  in  the  Great  War? 

The  country  was  the  first  in  South  America  to  declare  war 
against  Germany  and  while  no  active  part  was  taken  in  the 
fighting,  great  efforts  were  made  with  shipping  and  agricultural 
exportations,  to  make  a distinctive  contribution  to  the  allied 
cause. 

20.  What  is  the  principal  river  in  Brazil? 

This  question  is  easily  answered  by  any  school  boy  or  girl, 
but  few  realize  the  magnitude  of  the  river.  Noticing  a peculiar 
yellow  river  color  to  the  water  of  the  usually  blue  or  green  sea, 
we  once  asked  a ship’s  captain  what  caused  the  change  in  color. 
He  replied,  “We  are  several  hundred  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the 
Amazon  river,  but  this  is  the  effect  of  the  current  from  that 
river.’’  Large  sea-going  steamers  can  navigate  more  than  a 
thousand  miles  up  the  river,  and  with  its  many  tributaries  the 
Amazon  system  forms  probably  the  greatest  river  basin  in  the 
world.  It  flows  through  an  almost  uninhabited  region  that  is 
destined,  without  doubt,  to  furnish  dwelling  places  for  untold 
millions  in  the  future. 

21.  What  are  the  other  most  important  Brazilian  rivers? 

Few  countries  on  the  globe  are  as  well  provided  with  running 
waters  as  Brazil.  There  are,  among  many  others,  especially  to 


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Fifty  Questions  and  Answers  on  Brazil 


be  mentioned  the  great  systems  of  the  Rio  Sao  Francisco,  and 
the  Rio  Grande.  We  passed  on  the  train  the  divide  of  the  two 
basins,  water  from  one  side  flowing  east  and  north  from  the 
heart  of  the  state  of  Minas  Geraes  towards  the  outlet  in  North 
Brazil;  the  other  side  of  the  hill  sending  its  waters  west  and 
south  to  finally  reach  the  ocean  between  Argentine  and  Uruguay. 

These  great  systems  mean  fertile  valleys,  navigable  water- 
ways, and  immense  falls  and  rapids  where  potential  electric 
power  exists  by  the  millions  of  horse  power. 

22.  What  is  the  climate  of  Brazil? 

From  the  tropical  equatorial  north  of  Brazil  climate,  as  we  go 
south  we  find,  semi-tropical,  and  temperate.  In  the  heart  of  the 
interior  in  Central  Brazil,  states  of  Minas  Geraes,  Sao  Paulo, 
Parana,  Goyaz,  and  Matto  Grosso,  wherever  the  altitude  is 
sufficiently  high,  we  find  a semi-tropical,  or  temperate-tropical 
climate  that  is  really  remarkable,  and  as  good  as  is  found  in  the 
world. 

The  plants  and  trees  that  flourish  in  both  zones  seem  to  meet 
on  common  ground,  apples  with  bananas,  oranges  with  peaches, 
etc.  Where  the  proper  attention  is  given  to  modern  hygiene, 
conditions  are  as  healthy  as  could  possibly  be  desired.  The 
country  is  particularly  free  from  the  atmospheric  disturbances 
so  common  in  the  United  States;  cyclones  are  unknown,  and 
floods  rarely  do  harm.  The  year  is  divided  into  rainy  and  dry 
seasons,  rather  than  into  a distinct  winter  and  summer  season. 

23.  How  accessible  is  Brazil  to  the  United  States? 

Two  steamship  companies  maintain  twice  a month  service 
of  first-class  boats  to  Brazil.  The  U.  S.  Shipping  boats  make  the 
trip  in  twelve  days  to  Rio  de  Janeiro.  If  a stop  was  made  at 
Pernambuco  the  country  would  be  reached  in  about  eight  to 
nine  days. 

In  pre-war  days  the  trip  usually  took  seventeen  to  nineteen 
days. 

24.  Name  something  of  special  beauty  in  Brazil. 

This  question  could  be  answered  in  many  ways,  but  after  a 
residence  of  many  years  in  Brazil,  our  answer  would  certainly  be 
putting  Rio  de  Janeiro  in  first  place.  No  city  in  the  world  can 
boast  of  a more  beautiful  natural  setting  than  this  one.  And 
man  has  done  his  share  in  making  these  beauties  accessible,  at 
the  same  time  bringing  them  under  harmonious  control  for  the 
making  of  a modern  city.  If  we  could  imagine  Washington 
with  a magnificent  bay,  and  towering  mountains  of  gray  granite 
coming  right  down  to  the  water’s  edge,  and  the  evergreen  verdure 
of  a tropical  climate,  we  might  begin  to  have  some  conception 
of  the  Rio  setting. 

The  only  way  to  appreciate  it  is  seeing  it,  because  word  pic- 
tures, or  even  photographs  fall  far  short  of  the  true  picture. 


Fifty  Questions  and  Answers  on  Brazil 


7 


25.  Who  was  the  most  prominent  Brazilian  of  modern  times? 

On  May  the  first,  1923,  Dr.  Ruy  Barbosa,  Federal  Senator, 
and  world  prominent  lawyer,  jurist  and  statesman  died.  Of 
extraordinary  intellectual  capacity.  Dr.  Barbosa,  at  the  Hague 
and  in  international  law,  had  made  himself  an  outstanding  figure. 
In  his  own  country  he  had  always  combated  error  in  civil  life 
and  in  government,  and  although  a candidate  several  times  for 
the  presidency  of  the  republic,  he  was  always  defeated  as  being 
in  opposition  to  the  established  monopolizing  political  situation. 

As  time  goes  on,  the  country,  and  the  world,  will  come  to  more 
and  more  appreciate  the  intellectual  prowess  of  the  really  great 
mind  and  man. 


The  Why  of  Protestant  Missions 
in  Brazil  ? 


As  a rule  there  is  a very  marked  difference  in  the  interest  mani- 
fested in  the  United  States  as  to  missionary  effort  in  the  Orient  and 
Africa,  as  compared  to  that  of  Latin  America.  It  is  natural  that  the 
romantic  glamour  of  the  very  different  peoples  of  the  Orient  should 
excite  greater  curiosity.  On  the  other  hand,  when  one  becomes  fully 
informed  as  to  conditions  in  Latin  America,  one’s  interest  is  greatly 
increased.  A number  of  questions  have  been  included  in  this  part 
which  might  apply  to  religious  conditions  in  any  other  Latin  Amer- 
ican country,  but  many  conditions  brought  about  by  the  Roman 
Catholic  faith  are  common  to  all  these  countries.  To  have  any 
adequate  comprehension  as  to  the  needs  of  evangelical  missions  it  is 
absolutely  necessary  that  one  should  know  something  of  the  doctrines 
and  teachings  of  the  Roman  Church.  The  replies  given  are  not  from 
the  standpoint  of  a theologian,  but  from  that  of  a practical  observer, 
who  has  been  living  sixteen  years  in  Brazil. 

1.  What  is  meant  by  the  Roman  Catholic  Church? 

Many  young  people  brought  up  in  the  South  are  entirely  igno- 
rant as  to  what  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  really  is.  The  reply 
must  be  very  simple,  and  we  will  say  that  it  is  the  Church  that 
gives  obedience  to  the  Holy  See,  headed  by  the  Pope,  in  the 
city  of  Rome,  Italy,  recognizing  his  final  authority. 

2.  What  is  the  Pope? 

The  Pope  is  the  visual  head  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church, 
elected  to  this  office  by  the  Cardinals,  for  life  tenancy.  He  is 
considered  the  direct  successor  to  St.  Peter,  and  to  hold  absolute 
authority  over  the  Roman  Church  and  all  its  adherents,  in 
Questions  of  doctrine,  ecclesiastical  matters,  and  of  church  admin- 
istration. His  authority  is  supposed  to  go  even  further,  and  he 
is  supposed  to  have  absolute  authority  in  all  matters  spiritual, 
to  the  point  of  including  or  excluding  souls  from  salvation.  No 
person  or  persons  or  branch  of  the  Holy  Catholic  Church  which 
does  not  give  allegiance  to  the  Pope  is  considered  as  part  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church. 

3.  What  is  the  Roman  Catholic  attitude  toward  the  Bible? 

The  Bible,  while  admittedly  the  Holy  Scriptures,  is  entirely 
withheld  from  the  people  in  Brazil.  In  our  many  years  of  resi- 
dence in  Brazil,  we  have  seen  two  Roman  Catholic  copies  of  the 
Bible.  The  only  edition  of  which  we  have  been  able  to  find  out 
anything  is  a beautiful  two  volume  set,  illustrated,  and  so  expen- 
sive as  to  be  entirely  out  of  reach  of  the  masses.  It  is  the  doctrine 
of  the  Church  that  only  the  Church  itself,  as  represented  by  its 
priests  can  interpret  the  Bible,  but  the  priests  are  grossly  igno- 
rant of  the  Bible  and  its  contents.  This  is  one  of  the  fundamental 
differences  between  the  churches,  Protestant  and  Catholic.  In 


Fifty  Questions  and  Answers  on  Brazil 


9 


one  everything  possible  is  done  to  encourage  the  people  to  know 
and  love  the  Word  of  God,  and  in  the  other  everything  possible 
is  done  to  keep  the  people  from  knowing  and  freely  interpreting 
the  Bible. 

4.  What  is  its  attitude  towards  Christ? 

While  recognizing  Christ  as  the  Son  of  God,  in  practice  at 
least.  He  is  not  considered  the  sufficient  Saviour  of  Mankind. 
In  the  minds  of  the  most  of  the  Roman  Catholics  with  whom  we 
have  had  dealings,  they  have  a very  hazy  idea  of  Christ  and  His 
mission  on  earth.  Many  substitutes  are  offered,  and  no  member 
of  the  Church  is  given  certainty  of  his  salvation.  One  of  the 
archbishops  in  Brazil  recently  died,  and  he  requested  all  the 
priests  to  say  mass  for  the  good  of  his  soul,  and  left  money  to 
pay  for  200  masses.  He  certainly  felt  no  guarantee  as  to  his 
salvation. 

5.  What  are  teachings  about  the  Virgin  Mary? 

In  the  hearts  of  most  of  the  Catholics,  the  Virgin  Mary  occu- 
pies a position  of  much  greater  importance  than  Christ.  Her 
powers  are  believed  by  most  earnest  Catholics  to  be  equal  or 
superior  to  those  of  Christ  himself.  A number  of  absurd  doc- 
trines are  taught  by  the  Church  in  regard  to  the  Virgin  Mary. 
There  is  not  space  available  to  enter  into  a fuller  discussion  of 
this  subject,  but  it  is  of  vital  importance  in  considering  the  true 
conditions  of  the  spiritual  life  of  the  Roman  Catholics. 

6.  What  is  intercession  of  the  Saints? 

The  Roman  Catholic  Church,  through  an  enormous  and  ex- 
cessively expensive  ritual  establishes  in  official  positions  of 
sainthood,  those  of  the  dead  whom  they  so  intend.  They  take 
it  to  the  immensely  absurd  point  of  making  a saint  of  Joan  of 
Arc,  after  having  burned  her  at  the  stake  for  heresy.  These 
saints  are  all  supposed  to  have  miraculous  power  and  are  wor- 
shipped throughout  the  Church.  The  number  is  getting  to  be 
legion,  so  the  average  Catholic  knows  only  a few  of  the  more 
important  ones. 

Prayers  are  made  always  through  the  intercession  of  the 
saints,  and  especially  the  Virgin  Mary,  and  not  through  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  as  we  are  taught  to  make  them  in  the  Holv 
Word. 

7.  What  about  image  worship? 

Of  all  these  saints,  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  and  of  Christ  the 
Roman  Churches  have  no  end  of  images.  To  these  images  they 
give  worship,  kneeling  before  them,  praying  to  them,  kissing 
them  and  doing  many  other  acts  of  worship.  When  questioned 
the  reply  is  that  the  worship  is  to  the  person  represented  by  the 
image,  but  the  ignorant  masses  recognize  no  such  fine  points  of 
distinction. 

While  the  Roman  Catholic  Bibles  have  the  second  command- 
ment, the  catechisms  that  are  taught  to  the  children  do  not 


lO 


Fifty  Questions  and  Answers  on  Brazil 


have  it.  This  shows  the  inconsistency  of  a Church  that  says  it 
accepts  the  Bible,  but  which  has  practices  prohibited  by  the 
Word  of  God. 

8.  What  is  purgatory? 

The  doctrines  of  the  Roman  Church  teach  of  an  intermediate 
place  between  the  Heaven  of  the  saved,  and  the  Hades  of  the 
lost — purgatory.  The  souls  of  the  dead  go  to  this  mid- way  place, 
and  may  be  gradually  brought  into  the  full  rights  of  the  saved, 
through  the  offices  of  the  church,  in  the  way  of  masses.  The 
masses  are  said  for  stipulated  sums,  so  money  becomes  an 
essential  part  of  final  salvation.  This  is  apparently  the  most 
absurd  of  the  doctrines  of  the  Church,  and  is  not  stressed  so  much 
now  as  formerly. 

9.  What  are  the  teachings  about  marriage? 

Marriage  is  considered  a sacrament  of  the  Church,  along  with 
six  others,  claimed  to  have  been  instituted  by  Christ.  Civil 
marriage  is  not  recognized,  and  as  the  civil  government  does  not 
recognize  as  valid  religious  wedding  ceremonies,  there  arises  no 
end  of  complications.  Of  course  all  would  come  to  an  end  if  the 
Church  did  as  the  Protestant  Churches  do,  only  perform  the 
religious  ceremony  after  the  presentation  of  the  civil  marriage 
certificate. 

The  priests  are  not  allowed  to  marry,  and  their  moral  life 
stands  open  to  much  criticism,  and  puts  them  in  such  a position 
that  they  cannot  inspire  or  demand  moral  purity. 

10.  What  is  the  attitude  toward  Sunday  observance? 

It  is  not  necessary  to  discuss  this  from  the  Brazilian  stand- 
point. It  is  only  necessary  to  observe  what  happens  in  Roman 
Catholic  communities  in  the  United  States.  After  attendance 
at  the  early  Sunday  morning  mass,  the  rest  of  the  day  is  for 
recreation,  business  or  what  not.  The  fourth  commandment 
bears  no  weight  whatever. 

In  many  cities  of  Brazil  stores  are  closed  on  Sunday,  but  this 
is  because  of  the  demands  of  the  clerks,  and  not  for  religious 
reasons. 

1 1.  What  effect  has  public  opinion  on  the  Roman  Church? 

The  fact  that  so  many  customs  are  seen  in  common  practice 
in  South  America  that  public  opinion  would  not  tolerate  in  the 
United  States  shows  how  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  is  molded 
to  accommodate  public  opinion.  Where  she  dominates  and  has 
everything  her  own  way,  conditions  as  to  morality  and  spiritu- 
ality have  reached  an  extremely  low  level.  Where  there  is  an 
influence  for  the  better,  and  in  competition  to  her  corrupt  prac- 
tices another  front  is  shown.  For  this  reason  many  people  at 
home  are  not  disposed  to  believe  conditions  exist  so  bad  as  they 
really  are. 


Fifty  Questions  and  Answers  on  Brazil 


II 


12.  How  long  has  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  dominated  in  Brazil? 

Right  from  the  first  settlement  of  Brazil  the  Romish  Church 
has  had  absolute  sway,  with  full  power  as  the  State  religion.  The 
picture  that  is  most  often  seen  in  Brazilian  homes  is  similar  to 
famous  painting  of  the  landing  of  the  pilgrims,  but  shows  the 
first  mass  said  on  the  seashore  of  Brazil. 

13.  What  has  been  the  result  of  this  dominance? 

One  of  the  most  noticeable  results  of  the  Roman  dominance 
has  been  the  fostering  of  ignorance,  or,  in  other  words,  the  lack 
of  educational  development.  It  is  not  to  the  interest  of  the 
Church  that  high  intellectual  attainments  shall  be  achieved  by 
the  masses,  so  little  or  nothing  has  been  done  by  the  Church  for 
educational  advances.  The  lax  moral  standards  are  directly 
attributable  to  the  Roman  Church,  for  with  her  absolute  dom- 
inance during  many  centuries,  she  could  have  inspired  the 
highest  moral  character  and  development  of  this  people. 

The  progress  Brazil  has  obtained  has  been  in  spite  of  the 
Roman  Church,  and  not  with  its  help. 

14.  When  was  separation  from  the  State  and  the  Church  accomplished? 

Some  of  the  South  American  countries  still  have  state  religion, 
that  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  but  fortunately,  when 
Brazil  became  a republic  in  1889,  religious  liberty  in  its  fullest 
sense  was  established.  This  liberty  is  oftentimes  compromised  by 
the  scheming  of  the  Romish  authorities,  and  because  they  say 
they  are  the  Church  of  the  Brazilian  people.  Nevertheless  the  laws 
of  the  country,  and  the  very  constitution  itself,  guarantees  re- 
ligious liberty.  Now  that  the  people  at  large  have  seen  the  advan- 
tages of  the  separation  of  state  and  religion,  it  is  not  likely  they 
will  ever  make  the  backward  step  of  establishing  a state  religion 
again. 

15.  How  did  the  Protestant  Churches  get  established  before  this  sepa- 

ration? 

The  early  efforts,  begun  about  a century  ago,  for  evangelical 
advance  in  Brazil,  were  made  with  enormous  difficulties,  and  as 
long  as  the  Brazil  Empire  lasted,  many  rights  were  denied  these 
churches.  They  could  own  their  own  buildings,  but  these  could 
not  have  towers  or  in  any  way  look  like  the  Roman  Catholic 
churches,  nor  could  they  use  church  bells.  Even  so  a number  of 
Protestant  missions  were  established  before  the  coming  of  the 
republic,  and  we  still  have  missionaries  on  the  field  that  began 
their  efforts  during  the  last  days  of  the  Empire. 

16.  What  effect  has  separation  of  church  and  state  had  on  modern  life 

of  the  nation? 

Freed  from  the  shackles  of  a state  religion,  many  have  begun 
to  think  for  themselves.  This  thinking,  unguided  or  improperly 
guided,  has  opened  new  avenues  of  thought,  and  many  have 
drifted  into  a state  of  irreligion  or  religious  apathy.  Among  the 
higher  intellectual  classes  many  are  free  thinkers.  Spiritualism 


12 


Fifty  Questions  and  Answers  on  Brazil 


and  positivism  have  made  some  progress.  These  do  not  seem  to 
bother  the  Roman  Church,  but  the  progress  made  under  the 
new  regime  by  the  evangelical  forces  has  been  notable,  and  the 
Church  is  very  much  worried  over  it.  Many  occasions  of  perse- 
cution and  oppression  have  occurred,  but  liberty  is  progressive, 
and  cannot  be  held  back,  once  tasted. 

17.  Have  Protestant  missions  been  a success? 

Without  a doubt,  the  missionary  efforts  of  the  Protestant 
churches  have  been  successful.  The  total  evangelical  population 
is  nearly  half  a million.  The  Presbyterian  national  church  is 
practically  an  independent  body,  entirely  self-governing.  The 
missionaries  help,  but  do  not  overshadow  in  any  way  the  native 
Church.  If  the  missionaries  were  obliged  to  abandon  the  country 
today  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  Brazil  would  live  on  and  grow 
and  propagate  itself.  The  same  is  probably  true  of  the  other 
denominations  here  established. 

18.  How  have  they  established  their  work? 

The  greatest  work  of  the  Protestant  missions  has  been  the 
evangelical  preaching  of  the  Word,  and  the  spreading  of  the 
printed  gospel,  especially  the  Bible.  Some  very  fine  educational 
work  has  been  established.  Very  little  medical  work  has  been 
done,  and  it  will  never  be  so  important  a branch  of  the  work  as 
it  has  been  in  the  Orient,  because  most  of  the  Brazilian  cities 
have  good  physicians.  All  of  the  denominations  doing  missionary 
work  have  stressed  the  educational  side,  and  the  results  are  note- 
worthy. The  Brazilian  ministry  is  of  a high  order,  and  among 
it  are  many  outstanding  men.  The  Presbyterian  policy  is  to  turn 
over  to  the  Brazilians  themselves  any  and  all  work,  as  fast  as 
they  are  in  position  to  man  and  develop  it.  The  missionaries 
work  in  harmony  with  the  Brazilians,  in  the  most  cordial  rela- 
tions. 

The  larger  educational  educations  have  high  school  courses, 
and  there  are  two  professional  schools,  an  engineering  and  an 
agricultural  college.  Just  at  present  the  attitude  of  the  official 
educational  circles  is  not  so  favorable  to  the  missionary  institu- 
tions as  it  has  been  in  the  past,  but  it  is  hoped  that  this  is  a 
transitory  condition. 

19.  What  are  the  denominations  that  have  mission  work  in  Brazil? 

The  Presbyterian,  Methodist,  Baptist,  Episcopalian,  and 
Congregationalist  (English)  have  missions.  The  largest  mis- 
sionary efforts  just  at  present  are  being  put  forth  by  the  Bap- 
tists and  the  Methodists,  although  the  Brazilian  Presbyterian 
Church  is  the  strongest  from  the  native  standpoint. 

20.  How  do  they  cooperate? 

The  Presbyterians,  Methodists  and  Congregationalists  work 
in  thorough  harmony,  and  the  others  to  more  or  less  extent,  all 
through  the  Brazilian  Committee  of  the  Cooperation  in  Latin 
America  movement.  There  is  a union  seminary  in  Rio,  in  which 


Fifty  Questions  and  Answers  on  Brazil 


13 


four  churches  have  a part.  The  Methodists  have  a fine  publish- 
ing house  which  is  serving  several  denominations  in  a very  fine 
way.  As  a rule  frank  cooperation  prevails. 

21.  Are  there  many  open  doors  and  strong  appeals  for  workers  and 

equipment? 

As  strong  as  the  work  already  done  is,  and  the  great  develop- 
ment of  the  native  Church,  the  task  is  only  begun.  Many  appeals 
come  for  workers  and  the  unoccupied  fields  are  as  numerous,  or 
more  so,  than  the  occupied  ones.  One  of  the  great  tasks,  as  yet 
not  undertaken,  is  the  evangelizing  of  the  native  Indian  popula- 
tion. The  Committee  on  Cooperation  and  the  Presbyterian 
Church  have  made  a study  of  the  needs  and  conditions,  but  as 
yet  the  work  has  not  been  undertaken.  Many  schools  should  be 
established  and  many  evangelists  put  in  the  field. 

22.  How  many  Missions  does  the  Southern  Presbyterian  Church  have 

in  Brazil? 

We  have  three  Missions.  The  North  Brazil  Mission  operates 
principally  in  the  State  of  Pernambuco.  The  West  Brazil  Mission 
operates  principally  in  the  State  of  Sao  Paulo  and  partly  in  the 
State  of  Minas.  The  East  Brazil  Mission  has  as  its  field  the  great 
central  southern  part  of  the  State  of  Minas  Geraes.  The  North 
Brazil  Mission  does  educational  and  evangelistic  work,  the  West 
Brazil  only  evangelistic,  and  the  East  Brazil,  until  recently, 
almost  altogether  educational.  It  now  has  five  missionaries 
giving  full  time  to  evangelistic  work. 

25.  What  special  signs  of  life  does  the  Presbyterian  Church  show? 

A progressive  campaign  similar  to  that  of  our  home  Church,  to 
cover  a period  of  seven  years,  has  been  launched  in  two  synods. 

This  campaign  is  designed  to  intensify  all  the  work  and  devel- 
opment of  the  Church,  and  although  only  begun  a few  months 
ago,  has  aroused  much  enthusiasm. 

24.  Are  Missions  to  Brazil  as  necessary  as  to  the  heathen  countries? 

Recently  a Brazilian  pastor  made  the  statement  in  his  pulpit 
that  missions  to  Brazil  were  more  important  than  to  heathen 
countries  because  to  be  led  in  error  was  worse  than  not  to  have 
known  the  Gospel. 

Thoughtful  students  of  the  world’s  needs  of  the  Gospel  will 
all  agree  that  Brazil  makes  a very  special  appeal.  Will  you  heed 
it  by  prayer,  giving  of  means  or  life? 


